For fans of his writing, the Ian McEwan profile in the Feb 23rd New Yorker, “The Background Hum,” is something of a belated Valentine.
The author of the piece, Daniel Zalewski, had the altogether enviable assignment of tagging along with McEwan in assorted pleasant settings: rambling with McEwan through fields of wildflowers (likely sharing a cup of the “very good wine” with which it is reportedly McEwan’s habit to hike); celebrating the writer’s 60th birthday at the London Zoo with Martin Amis, Michael Frayn, Kazuo Ishiguro, Julian Barnes, and 200 or so others of McEwan’s closest literary confreres; and asking all manner of serious, insightful, prying questions about the author’s approach to writing, personal history, and almost “scandalous” popularity.

I was particularly interested to note that in the interview

“McEwan twice cited Henry James’ dictum that the ‘only obligation of the novel is that it be interesting. ’ Later McEwan declared that he finds “most novels incredibly boring. It’s amazing how the form endures. Not being boring is quite a challenge.”

Although I can’t imagine that his birthday guests–many of whom are novelists–much appreciated the sentiment, his is a good point, of which his success seems illustrative. McEwan is an astute, observant, idea-driven writer, but he is also a shameless supporter of un-boring, dramatic plotlines. I‘m not among those who believe that a literary page-turner is an oxymoron, and it was pleasure to read an article in which the old-fashioned virtue of storytelling acquired so elegant a champion.

–Jessica

We’ve been getting a lot of queries lately about how to get paid in the google settlement. This link might be helpful to those of you who think you might be owed money.

Are you ever confused by all the publishing acronyms and special terms that get thrown around? Editorial Anonymous has a great series called “Definitions for the Perplexed” that will help explain.

-Michael

Interesting Q&A in Poets & Writers by Jofie Ferrari-Adler. Editors Lee Boudreaux, Eric Chinski, Alexis Gargagliano, and Richard Nash (who used to be a performance artist!) weigh in on the state of things. (Thanks go to Pub Lunch for the link!)

-Lauren

This time, Jim McCarthy takes a crack at the Proust questionnaire.

* What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Boredom.

* What is your idea of earthly happiness?

A banana chocolate chip muffin, a liter of Diet Coke, a good book, and the time to take a nap.

* Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?

Milkman in SONG OF SOLOMON. John Ames in GILEAD. The perhaps anti-heroic Madame Bovary. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME. And Billy Pilgrim. Poo-tee-weet.

* Who are your favorite characters in history?

Serial killers and egomaniacs are always interesting (and sometimes are one and the same). Elizabeth Bathory. Pope Joan. The Son of Sam. William Randolph Hearst.

* Your favorite painter?

Van Gogh (trite but true).

* Your favorite musician?

Ella Fitzgerald’s voice transcends time.

* Who would you have liked to be?

Andy Warhol. Other than that part where he got shot.

This puts an interesting old spin on a new classic.

-Chasya

Here‘s one category that’s thriving in the U.K. I suspect the psychology’s the same on this side of the Atlantic.

–Miriam

I’m not saying I won’t read it, or that it’s a bad business move. But… http://www.thewrap.com/article/1361

What are the chances it’s as un-revealing and ultimately uninteresting as that MTV documentary she did a month or two back?

And should there be a minimum age to write a memoir?

–Jim

I’m fascinated by XML, and I was really pleased to find this video via the Harper Studio blog that explains what it is and why it’s important very simply.  (Please turn off your speakers, though.  The music is horrible.)

Over the coming weeks, we’re going to offer a peek into the collective psyche of an agency. Be afraid. Agents and authors of DGLM will answer a short version of the famous Proust questionnaire (Proust Lite, if you will). To kick us off:

Miriam Goderich

• What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Being stuck in an elevator, train, airplane or any other closed space for any length of time without a book.

• What is your idea of earthly happiness?

Aside from staring at my kid? Lounging on a beach with a cold drink, a salty snack, a book I can’t put down and nowhere I have to be anytime soon.

• Who are your favorite heroes of fiction?

Lawrence Durrell’s Justine, Dostoevsky’s Prince Myshkin, Elizabeth Bennett, William Styron’s Sophie, William Faulkner’s Quentin, E. Annie Proulx’s Quoyle, and so many others…

• Who are your favorite characters in history?

Benjamin Disraeli, Eleanor Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, Eleanor of Aquitaine, Benjamin Franklin, Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz…

• Your favorite painter?

Rembrandt

• Your favorite musician?

Bach, Liszt, Frank Sinatra, Dusty Springfield, Elvis Costello, Pink, Brandi Carlile (see the problem here?)

• Who would you have liked to be?

I would’ve liked to have qualities of certain people (Billie Holiday’s signing voice, Virginia Woolf’s way with words, Humphrey Bogart’s cool, Coco Chanel’s fashion sense, etc.) but not all their baggage.